Pneumatic carpet-cleaner.



E. E, VERHOLTe PNUMA-YIC CARPET CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED IIIAY29. 1907.

E. E. OVERHOLT.

PNEUMMIC CARPET CLEANER.

APPLICATION HLED NAY291907.

LQQQ/k 19am-ted Apr. 10,191?.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

E. E. OVERHOLT.

PNEUMAHC CARPET CLEANER.

d APPLICAHON NEED MANS. 19o?. T)

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TINTTED TATE@ PATENT EDWIN E. OVERHOLT, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO MODERN' COMPRESSED AIB CLEANING- COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF THE DISTRICT 0F COLUMBIA.

PNEUMATICI CARPETCLEANER.

Application filed May 29, 1907.

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, EiiwiN E. OvnanoLT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Carpet-CleanersI` of which the following is a specitication.

My invention relates to pneumatic carpet cleaners, and is adapted to clean carpets on ythe floors where they are used. It employs both blast and suction; andby novel means combines these two features in such a way as to gain the advantages of both.

My object is to provide a device of this class adapted to raise dust out of the carpet into the nozzle chamber, and to expel the. same' direct therefrom into a suitable dust receptacle by means of the compressed air released in the nozzle chamber, (as for instance, in my Patent 799,575) g and in addition to this to )rovide an auxiliary dust chamber arrangev to prevent the passage thereinto of any portion of the dust expelled from the nozzle chamber into said dustreceptacle, and adapted to only receive and dispose of that portion of dust which but for the auxiliary chamber would escape through the pileof the carpet underneath the nozzle chamber into the room.

A further object is to provide a machinehaving both a blast ehamband a suction chamber-with mechanical means coperating with the force of the air in the blast chamber, to automatically impart to the casing an upward tendency, whereby to counteract the downward tendency caused by the vacuum in the suction chamber.

Other objects will appearin the subjoined description.

The invention consists in certain novel v parts and combinations which will be de- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr., TO., MMU?.

Serial No. 376,372.

with a part of the same cut away to more clearly disclose the dust chambers therein.

Fig'. 5 shows the device as it appears in operation when the auxiliary dust bag is dispensed with.

Fig'. G shows the feed pipe of the air exhausting arrangement the pipe being here provided with a two-way valve.

Figa 7 is a perspective on an enlarged scale showing' a fragmentary view of the casiingr with the air exhausting' arrangement and the adjusting' screw for the spring.

Fig'. 8 is a fragmentary View showing the spring adjusting screw, the outlet ends of the dust exhauster, and the tapered collar, as they are all relatively arranged in the form of device illustrated in Fig. 5.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary section illustrating the same.

Fifi'. 10 shows the arrangement for colleetingr dust in the auxiliary dust bag without a dust pan. l

Fig. 11 shows the method of emptying dust from this bag. l

Fig. 12 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of the nozzle spring.

Fig. 13 is a bottom plan view on a re duced scale of the construction shown in Figs. l and 5.

Fig. 14 shows a sectional View' slightly modified form of casing; and

Figi. 15 shows on au enlarged scale, the air valves under the immediate control of the operator.v

Referring' to the drawings, the casingr 1 contains an inner chamber 2 and an outer chamber 3, referred to hereafter respectively as the primary and the secondary or auxiliary dust. chambers.

of a

The auxiliary dust chamber surrounds the' primary dust chamber in such a way that any dust escaping underneath the machine from the primary chamber is caught in theV The chambers 2 and 3 vdo not havemny openings leading from one into the other, and are therefore non-communicating.

The spring-pressed nozzle Ll operates within the inner chamber to deliver a blast of compressed air into the carpet or .fabric being operated upon. This nozzle moves up and down in guideways 9 at opposite ends of the chamber 2 and normally tends to automatically project `below the working face of the casing as is set forth in my Patent No. 799,575.

Compressed air is deliveredto the nozzle through the handle-pipe 5, which enters the chamber 2 of the casing through the elongated opening 6 at the rear side thereof. This opening is surrounded by a collar 7 to which the lower end of a dust bag 8 is secured; the upper end of said bag being secured to the handle-pipe (see Figs. 1 and The opening 6 being very large, dust escapes with great ease from the primary dust chamber 2 into the bag 8, andu since the nozzle 4 is rotatably mounted in the' chamber 2, the handle-pipe 5 and the dust bag 8 carried thereon may be raised or lowered as suits the convenience of the op;v erator or the requirements of the work.

The nozzle 4 is pressed by the spring 10 which has a socket 11 rigidly secured 'thereto, and into which socket is received the end.

of an adjusting screw 1Q carried by the casing. The downwardly extending ends 10a of the spring 10 rest upon the nozzle 4 and are recessed to keep the spring from rocking laterally when the nozzle is rotated, and thel adjusting screw 12 which is received into the socket 11 prevents the spring from moving longitudinally on the nozzle, by which arrangement the spring is suitably held in operative position.

The outer or auxiliary chamber 3 is provided with air exhausting means to create a partial vacuum therein. @ne method of doing this, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 7,

consists in locating in the auxiliary chamber.

3 an injector pipe 17, and a coperating feed pipe 13 terminating preferably in two branches 14 and 15 at its outlet end, the

branch 14 extending upwardly through the casing and collar Q0 to empty into the auxiliary dust bag 16. and the branch 15 extending` rearwardly through the casing (inside the collar 7) to empty into the primary dust bag F4. A blast of. compressed air is delivered through the injector pipe 17 into the l'ced pipe to produce the desired vacuum in the auxiliary chamber. 'lhe feed pipe is bent upon itself to give it suliicient length.

A cap or closure 18 isprovided for the branches 14 and 15 of the feed pipe, so that by closing the proper one of said branches, (he dust exhausted through said pipe may be delivered into whichever bag may be desired. ln Fig. (i l have shown a two-way valve 19 which if preferred may be used vinstead of the cap 118 for closing one or the other of said branches. 1V hen both lbranches 11 and 15 are left open, dust will be simultaneously exhausted from the outer chamber into both bags. f

If however the bag 8 be made of impervio'us material and both branches 14 and 15 left open, the dust from both chambers will then ultimately pass into the bag 16, that from the secondary chamber passing inthe usual manner, while that having escaped from the primary chamber through the open. ing 6 into the bag 8, will now pass from the bag through the branches 15 and 14 into the bagT 16. The bag 8 will, in that case, form a flexible closure for the opening 6 and will establish a line of communication between the primary dust chamber and the bag 16; but let it be noted, not between the primary dust chamber and the auxiliary dust chamber, since even with this arrangement, as with all others herein described, no dust can pass from the primary chamber into the auxiliary chamber, nor from the auxiliary chamber into the primary chamber, when the machine is at work. In this case the bag 8 may be made quite small if desired.

The top of the casing 1 is provided with an opening from the auxiliary chamber, and this opening is surrounded by a tapered male collar 20, which is adapted to coperate with a corresponding female collar 21 (see Fig. 10) which latter is secured to the lower end of the auxiliary dust bag v16. This female collar carries the loop 22 which supports the bag 16 on the machine. This loop is materially shorter than the bag with which it is used so that the bag sags at its lower end, and this annular sagged portion of the bag forms a comparatively large receptacle for dust, which arrangement enables me to dispense with a dust pan.

When the operator desires to remove the bag 1G, he lifts it from the machine by means of the loop 22 which serves as a rigid bail for the female collar 21. The method ofA emptying the bag is illustrated in' Fig. 11, in which the bail 22 is simply released and the top end of the bag held by the hand of the operator.' ln thisposition the dust is easily shaken out through the collar 21.

When it is desired to usesthe device for" cleaning carpets underneath furniture, or benches as in churches, the hood 16 may be dispensed with; and when a machine is inlas 4 through the valve 5a, and to the injector I pipe 17 through the smaller valve 17 b which is connected with the injector pipe by the lexible pipe 17a (Figs. 1 and 15).

The opening through which the injector pipe 17 enters the auxiliary chamber 3 is inclosed by the collar 7 so that the pipe A17 may be within the dust bag 8 instead of on the outside thereof as would otherwise be the case.

.Fig 14 shows a manner of 'constructing the casing of my invention in which the forwardly and rearwardly extending portions thereof are dispensed with, and in which the auxiliary dust bag is supported upon the other bag. The dust is removed from these bags by simply elevating them to an approximately vertical position, by means ofthe handle, and shaking them.

The bail 22 may be omitted from the form of device shown in Figs. l and 5, if desired, and the auxiliary bag supported as in Fig. 14'.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a device havingr two separate dust chambers independent of each other, in one of which a blast of compressed air is employed for cleaning` the carpet, and in the other of which suction is employed. The suction chamber is outside the blast chamber, and if a strong suction be created therein, the carpet will be relieved of the coarser and more easily dislodged particles of dust in advance of the nozzle within the blast chamber which does by far the most thorough work. But since suction does far less thorough work than a blast and is wasteful of power, it is usually desirable to employ the outer chamber 3 to handle only that small. portion of dust which under certain conditions escapes around the bottom of the blast chamberand but for the suction chamber would pass into the room. In this latter case onlv a very slight suction will be required, and hence only a small bag formed of comparatively thin light material will be needed.

When operating' upon carnet only ordiq narily dirty,'it will probably be unnecessary to use the suction feature at all, since the auxiliary dust bag, for reasons already set forth, may be made very light, and therefore any air escaping underneath the primary' chamber into the auxiliary chamber, will find its easiest way of escape through the auxiliary bag. This wouldstill be. true, in `large measure, even if the banT were made of very heavy material, because of thevery small amount of air which it would be required to handle.

My Patent No. 799,575, on this same line of invention, fully sets forth that for a blast machine to do the best work possible, it's nozzle must be forcibly pressed upon the carpet. VVit-h this idea in mind, my present invention is preferably provided with a movable spring pressed nozzle arranged to automatically project below the working' face of the casingv in substantially the same manner as does the nozzle in the patent just referred to. The downward pressure of the spring?, upon the nozzle reacts against the casing,r and .tends to lift it from the floor, and but for my suction chamber I would be compelled to make the casing heavy enough to resist this upward reaction of the spring, in order to get the requisite pressure upon the nozzle. But by utilizing' the suction in the auxiliary chamber to hold the casini,r down to the floor when the machine is at work, I am able to get all the pressure needed upon the nozzle, even though thccasing itself be comparatively light,

The area of my suction chamber is so large comparatively, that it would be anI easy mattei' to make the machine adhere so vinL orously to the carpet that it would be diilicult to move it thereupon; but this tendency of the casing to cleave to the carpet, so to speak, is suitably counteracted by the tendency of the,nozzle-springl to lift the casing. Hence I,have here an arrangement by which the suction in the auxiliary chamber is utilized to assist in pressing' the nozzle to its work, and whereby the tendency of the auxiliary chamber to cleave to the carpet'is suitably counteacted by the tendency of the spring' to lift the casing from the carpet. Therefore instead of having); to make my machine heavier, as might be supposed, by the addition of the suction chamber thereto, I can, if I choose, make it lighter than if ,I were only employing' a blast, since the Adownward pull of the suction in one chamber counter-acts the liftingV tendency of the nozzle-spring in the other, and thereby causes the machine to move 'easily over the carpet even when a strong suction is used; so that I can employ a stronger suction than would be practicable to use without the lifting tendency exerted upon the casina` by the nozzle-spring; and this is true both when the suction is used alone, and when it is used in combination with the blast. Therefore, when I desire to make the machine move more lightly over the Hoor, I do not necessarily have to lessen the suction, but only have to increase the tension upon the spring.

To adapt my device permanently for suction only if I desire to collect all the dust into the bag 16, I remove the han' 8, close the branch l5, and elevate the nozzle out of engagement with the carpet, only using' the nozzle as a part of the handle-pipc for engaging the machine to push it over the carpet. This will permit clean air to be drawn into the suction chamber not only from the outside thereof, in the usual manner, but also from the primary chamber. If however I still desire to use a bag similar to the bag 8 to catch a part of the dust exhausted from the suction chamber. I leave the branch 15 open, and secure the lower end of the bag to be used around the projecting outer end oi" said open branch 15, with its upper end secured to the handle 5 of the machine. By then'closing the branch 14, I can exhaust all the dust from the auxiliary chamber through the branch 15, and dispense. entirely with the bag 16.

l hat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In pneumatic carpet cleaners, a casing having a blast chamber and an auxiliary chamber cooperating therewith to catch the dust escaping at the bottom of the blast chamber, both chambers having open bot toms adapted to rest on 'the ca1'pet,wl1ich forms a bottom for the chambers while the machine is at work, said chambers being closed against the passage'of air from one chamber into the other, except through the ile of the carpet underneath they dividing walls of the chambers; the blast chamber being arranged for the introduction of air thereinto, and each chamber beingprovided in its wall with an independent' dir outlet for the escape ot the dust-laden air of each chamber separately from the casing; and each chamber heilig provided at its outlet with means for receiving an individual dust receptacle.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a blast chamber and an auxiliary chamber cooperating therewith to catch the dust escaping at the bottom of the blast chamber; and dust-receiving and straining means; said chambers being completely separated from each other by their inclosing walls, and halving'open bottoms adapted to rest on the carpet; means for delivering a blast of compressed air into the blast cham` ber to raise the dust out ot' the carpet into said chambers and expel the same therefrom; each chamber having for its (lust-laden air a separate outlet delivering into a common dust receptacle; and means for preventing the passage of air from the dust receiving means into the auxiliary chamber while the machine is at work.

. 3. In pneumatic carpet cleaners, an openbottomed casing adapted to rest on the carpet and having a primary and'an auxiliary dust chamber, the carpet forming a bottom t'or the chambers while. the machine is at work; means fordelivering a blast of compressed air upon the carpet in the primary chamber, thereby producing a materially greater pressure in the primary chamber than inthe auxiliary chamber; the primary chamber being closed against communication with the auxiliary chamber and having an independent outlet at a point above its hottom leading to the exterior of the casing, t'or relieving the pressure in the chamber' and for the discharge of all its dust from theA casing except the .small portion filtering through the pile of the carpet underneath the bottom of its Walls into the auxiliary chamber; said auxiliary chamber also having an independent outlet for the escape of its dust.

4. In pneumatic carpet cleaners, an openbottomed casing adapted to rest on the carpet and having a primary and an auxiliary dust chamber; means for raising the' dust out of a carpet into said chambers and for expelling the same from the casing; each otv said chambers being provided with an independentair-outlet leading from the interior of that chamber through the wall thereof to the exterior of the casing and means for reducing the pressure in the auxiliary chamber below atmospheric pressure, and below the 'pressure of the primary chamber.

5. In pneumatic carpet cleaners, a casing having a primary and an auxiliary dust chamber, said chambers being open-bottomed and non-communicating with each other; means for raising the dust out of a carpet and expelling the same from the casing;-

means for maintaining an air pressurev greater than atmospheric pressure in the primary chamber, *and less than atmosprimary chamber than in the auxiliary' chamber, each chamber being provided with an individual outlet-opening for the escape of its dust-laden air; the air outlet-opening of the primarychamber as compared with that of the auxiliary chamber being made comparatively large to correspond to the greater pressure of the primary chamber and leading out direct therefrom through one of the Walls ot' said chamber to the outside of the casing, to facilitate the easy expulsion of dust-laden air from said chamber, each of said chambers being arranged to prevent the escape of its dustladcn air through its walls into the other chamber.

7 In pneumatic carpet cleaners, a primary dust chamber'having' means for delivering a blast of compressed air therein and an independent outlet for the escape of air therefrom; an auxiliary dust chamber and means for creating a Vpartial vacuum therein; said chambers being closed at all ponts'in their dividing walls against the passage of air ncaa-ara from one chamber into the other and having open bottoms adapted to rest on the carpet; said auxiliary chamber being located between the primary chamber and the outer wall of the casing, and provided with an individual outlet for the escape of its dust from the casing separately from the dust of the primary chamber.

8. In a device of the character described, a casing having a main portion and a tapered extension at th`e base thereof, said extension being of materially less height than the main portion and projecting in the direction of the line of travel of the machine, to form a tapered bottom Jfor the machine to facilitate the movement of the same over the carpet; said main portion of the casing being recessed on its under side to form an open-bottomed dust chamber, and said base extension being also recessed on its under side, with the recess thus formed uniting with said lirst named recess; whereby to utilize said projecting base to i'orm an enlargement of the bottom area of said dust chamber without otherwise enlarging` the casing.

9. In pneumatic carpet cleaners, the combination with a casing having a primary and an auxiliary dust chamber, of a collar secured to said casing and designed to be engaged by a dust-receptacle, said primary chamber having an opening in the easing for the escape of dust-laden air, and said auxiliary chamber also having an outlet opening leading out through the easing adjacent to said opening of the primary chamber', said collar surrounding both of said openings.

10. In pneumatic carpet cleaners, the combination with a casing having a primary and a secondary dust chamber each provided with an open`bottom, of means for delivering a downward blast in one chamber and exhausting air from the other, each of said chambers being provided with an independent outlet for the escape of dust therefrom, and each adapted to empty its dust into a separate dust receptacle located outside the casing; and additional means whereby the dust from the independent outlet from each chamber may be directed into a single one of said receptacles when desired.

` 1,1. In pneumatic carpet cleaners, a casing having a blast chamber provided with an opening, and a suction chamber adjacent said blast chamber, said suction chamber being provided with means t'orexhausting the air therefrom b v compressed fluid; a han- (lle-pipe entering the blast chamber through 12. In pneumatic carpet cleaners, a casing having an outer suction chamber and an inner chamber surrounded thereby, both having open bottoms adapted to rest on the carpet, each' of said chambers having at a point above its bottom an individual outlet leading from the interior of the chamber to the `exterior of the casing for the escape of dust-laden air separately from each chamber, the chambers being each adapted to receive an individual dust receptacle around its outlet; said chambers having their walls closed at all points against the passage of air from one chamber to the other, to prevent the dust-laden air of either chamber from entering the other chamber except the small portion filtering `through the pile of the carpet underneath the dividing walls of the chambers.

13. In pneumatic carpet cleaners, a casing having an inner and an outer chamber both having open bottoms adapted to rest on the carpet, the walls of both chambers extending downwardly on all sides of said chambers into the same plane to cause all of said walls to engage the carpet, said walls being closed against the passage of air from one chamber to the other; and means for producing a partial vacuum in the outer chamber, said outer chamber having an outlet for the escape of dust-laden air therefrom, and the inner chamber having an opening leading out through the casing` to the outside thereof; whereby air of atniospheric pressure may be drawn into the outer chamber both from the inner chamber and from the outer side of said outer chamber.

14. A device ot the character described, con'iprising a casing adapted to rest on the carpet and havingva plurality ot' open-bottomed dust chambers; means for delivering a blast ol compressed air into one of the chan'ibcrs to raise the dust out of the carpet into said chambers, said means giving a greater pressure in the blast chamber than in the other; a plurality of dust-receptacles at the exterior ot the casing; said chambers having outlets leading to said receptacles; and means for alternately directing the dust Vfrom each of said (,:hambers into both of said reciaitacles or `l'rom one chamber only into both receptacles.

15. lu pnemnatic carpet cleaners, a casing having a plurality o'tl open bottomed chambers adapted to rest on the carpet; the walls el! each chamber being closed at all points against the admission of air from the other chamber; each chamber being provided with an air outlet, in its wall. not leading into the other chamber; and means lor maintaining a dill'crent air pressure in each chamber.

1V. lu pneumatic carpet cleaners, a casing haring a plurality of chambers; means within one ol' said chambers for creating a vacilum, which causes the pressure of the air tol press the machine down into close engagement with the carpet; and mechanical means Within the other for imparting a lifting tendency to the casing; whereby one force is used to suitably counteract the other.

17. A devicevof the character described, comprising a primary chamber and a completely disconnected auxiliary chamber, both having open bottoms adapted to rest on the carpet; a blast device delivering a downward blast upon the carpet in the primary chamber and a suction device in the auxiliary chamber, for raising the dust out of the carpet into said chambers and expelling the same therefrom; each chamber having an independent oiitlet for the discharge of its dust-laden air separately from the casing.

18. A device of the character described, comprising a blast chamber and a coperating auxiliary chamber both having open bottoms adapted to rest on the carpet; means for raising the dust out of the carpet into said chambers and expellingr the same therefrom, each chamber having its walls closed against communication with the other and each having an independent loutlet for the discharge of its dust-laden air separately from the casing; a dust receptacle for each chamber; and a pipe formed ot' three branches, one leading to the auxiliary dust chamber, one to the auxiliary dust receptacle, and one to the primary dust receptacle; and a two-way valve in said pipe at the junction of its branches, and adjustable therein to Vdifferent positions relatively to said branches, whereby to provide a unitary construction adapted, at the will of the operator, toy throw each chamber into communication with its individual dust reeeptacie only; to throw both chambers into communication with the auxiliary dustreceptacle only and close the outlet of the auxiliary chamber to the auxiliary receptacle; to throw both chambers into communication with both dust receptacles; to throw both dust receptacles into communication with the primary dust receptacle only and close the outlet of the auxiliary chamber; and to throw the auxiliary chamber out of cominunication with both dust receptacles and the receptacles out of communication with each other. 1

19. A device of the. character described comprising a primary chamber and an auxiliary chamber coperating therewith to catch the dust escapingat the bottom of the primary chamberfboth chambers having open bottoms adapted to rest on the carpet; means for delivering la blast of compressed air into the primary chamber to iaise the dust out of the carpet into said chambers and expel the same therefrom, said chambers being closed against communication with each other except through the pile of the carpet underneath their dividing walls; a retieulated dust receptacle for each chamber; and each chamber having an independent outlet for the escape ot' its dustladeii air separately from the casing; whereby to discharge the maximum portion of the dust into the primary dust receptacle, leaving the auxiliary chamber to handleonly the small amount of dust escaping at the bottom ot' the primary chamber, and giving in the auxiliary chamber a very light comparative pressure, the auxiliary dust-receptacle being comparatively large relatively to the light pressure ot' the auxiliary chamv ber and the small amount of dust handled thereby.

20. A device of the character described, comprising a casing having a primary and an auxiliary chamber, said chambers having open bottoms adapted to rest on the carpet and having their walls closed against communication with each other and each having a separate outlet for its dust-laden air; dustreceiving-and-straining means connected with said chambers; and means for delivering a blast of compressed air into the primary chamber tor raising the dust out of the carpet into said chambers and expelling the same into the dust-receiving means, and maintaining a greater pressure in the primary chamber than in the auxiliary chainber; and means for giving a greater pressure at the outlet of the auxiliary chamber than in the primary dust-receiving means.

2l. A device of the character described, comprising a casing having a primary and an auxiliary dust chamber, said chambers having open bottoms adapted to rest on the carpet, and being non-communicating with each other, and each having for its dustladeii ai.` an outlet not emptying into the other chamber; dust-receiving and straining means connected with said chambers; means for raising the dust out of the carpet into lsaid chambers and expelling the saine into the dust-receiving means; and maintaining a greater pressure in the primary chamber than in the auxiliary chamber, and means :tor varying the pressure of the auxiliary chamber at vwill relatively to the pressure of i the primary chamber. y

2Q. A device of the character described comprising, a casing having a primary and.

an auxiliary. dust chamber, said chambers having open bottoms adapted to rest on the carpet, and being non-cominuiiicating with each other, and each havingfor its dustladeii air an outlet not emptying into the other chamber; dust-receiving'and straining means connected with said chambers; means for raising the dust out of the carpet into said chambers and expelling the saine thererfrom into the dust-receiving means; and `maintaining' a greater pressure in the prmary chamber than in the auxiliary chamname to this specification in the presence of ber, and a greater pressure than atmospheric two subscrlbmg Wltnesses. pressure 1n the aumllary chamber; and

means for at will reducing the pressure of EDWIN la' 0X ERHOLT' 5 the auxiliary chamber below atmospheric -Witnesses:

pressure.v SOLON C. KEMON, In testimony whereof I have signed my PERRY B. TURPIN. 

